2025 Champion of Champions: Difference between revisions

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==== Group 1 ====

==== Group 1 ====

[[File:Mark Williams at Snooker German Masters (Martin Rulsch) 2014-01-30 01.jpg|thumb|The defending champion [[Mark Williams (snooker player)|Mark Williams]] (pictured in 2014) lost the Group 1 final to [[Mark Selby]] in a {{Cuegloss|deciding frame}}.]]

[[File:Mark Williams at Snooker German Masters (Martin Rulsch) 2014-01-30 01.jpg|thumb|The defending champion [[Mark Williams (snooker player)|Mark Williams]] (pictured in 2014) lost the Group 1 final to [[Mark Selby]] in a {{Cuegloss|deciding frame}}.]]

Matches in Group 1, which comprised the defending champion [[Mark Williams (snooker player)|Mark Williams]], [[Mark Selby]], [[Stephen Maguire]], and [[Alfie Burden]], took place on 12 November.<ref name=”WST_schedule” /> In the first group semi-final, the [[2025 Xi’an Grand Prix]] winner Williams made breaks including 83 and 70 as he whitewashed the [[2025 World Seniors Championship|2025 World Seniors Champion]] Burden.<ref>{{cite web |date=12 November 2025 |title=2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Williams v Alfie Burden |url=https://www.wst.tv/match-centre/ec577285-113b-40a8-bf1d-5748ba7aafc7 |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=[[World Snooker Tour]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> In the second group semi-final, the [[2025 Welsh Open (snooker)|2025 Welsh Open]] champion Selby made a century of 122 as he also whitewashed the [[2025 Championship League (ranking)|2025 Championship League]] winner Maguire.<ref>{{cite web |date=12 November 2025 |title=2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Selby v Stephen Maguire |url=https://www.wst.tv/match-centre/cc4e2ba8-0056-42fe-ba3b-0925ce48beb0 |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=[[World Snooker Tour]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=”:0“>{{Cite web |last=Sutcliffe |first=Steve |date=12 November 2025 |title=Selby overcomes Williams in decider to reach semi-finals semis |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/articles/c5y4xx708gko |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=[[BBC Sport]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Matches in Group 1, which comprised the defending champion [[Mark Williams (snooker player)|Mark Williams]], [[Mark Selby]], [[Stephen Maguire]], and [[Alfie Burden]], took place on 12 November.<ref name=”WST_schedule” /> In the first group semi-final, the [[2025 Xi’an Grand Prix]] winner Williams made breaks including 83 and 70 as he whitewashed the [[2025 World Seniors Championship|2025 World Seniors Champion]] Burden.<ref>{{cite web |date=12 November 2025 |title=2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Williams v Alfie Burden |url=https://www.wst.tv/match-centre/ec577285-113b-40a8-bf1d-5748ba7aafc7 |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=[[World Snooker Tour]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> In the second group semi-final, the [[2025 Welsh Open (snooker)|2025 Welsh Open]] champion Selby made a century of 122 as he also whitewashed the [[2025 Championship League (ranking)|2025 Championship League]] winner Maguire.<ref>{{cite web |date=12 November 2025 |title=2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Selby v Stephen Maguire |url=https://www.wst.tv/match-centre/cc4e2ba8-0056-42fe-ba3b-0925ce48beb0 |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=[[World Snooker Tour]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=””>{{Cite web |last=Sutcliffe |first=Steve |date=12 November 2025 |title=Selby overcomes Williams in decider to reach semi-finals semis |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/articles/c5y4xx708gko |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=[[BBC Sport]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In the Group 1 final, Williams won the first two frames, making breaks of 77 and 114, before Selby won four consecutive frames, making breaks including 55, 136, and 52, as he moved into a 4–2 lead. Selby had been 68 points behind in frame six and {{Cuegloss|snookers required|required a snooker}} but secured the {{Cuegloss|penalty points}} he needed. Williams then took three closely contested frames to lead 5–4, but Selby tied the scores with a 95 break in frame 10 and made a 55 break in the decider to secure victory.<ref>{{cite web |date=12 November 2025 |title=2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Williams v Mark Selby |url=https://www.wst.tv/match-centre/2af54f10-1640-4a57-bde1-9ee4e71df63d |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=[[World Snooker Tour]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 November 2025 |title=Mark Selby ends Williams reign at Champion of Champions |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/snooker/2025/1113/1543699-selby-ends-williams-reign-at-champion-of-champions/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |website=[[RTÉ Sport]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> “It was mad towards the end,” Selby said after the match. “I felt like I had played really well to go 4–2 up. Mark did what he does, he dug in, showed his class, came back and the next minute I am 5–4 down and my head is spinning. I am just happy to get over the line. It is always nice to do well in your home city.”<ref name=”:0” />

In the Group 1 final, Williams won the first two frames, making breaks of 77 and 114, before Selby won four consecutive frames, making breaks including 55, 136, and 52, as he moved into a 4–2 lead. Selby had been 68 points behind in frame six and {{Cuegloss|snookers required|required a snooker}} but secured the {{Cuegloss|penalty points}} he needed. Williams then took three closely contested frames to lead 5–4, but Selby tied the scores with a 95 break in frame 10 and made a 55 break in the decider to secure victory.<ref>{{cite web |date=12 November 2025 |title=2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Williams v Mark Selby |url=https://www.wst.tv/match-centre/2af54f10-1640-4a57-bde1-9ee4e71df63d |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=[[World Snooker Tour]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 November 2025 |title=Mark Selby ends Williams reign at Champion of Champions |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/snooker/2025/1113/1543699-selby-ends-williams-reign-at-champion-of-champions/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |website=[[RTÉ Sport]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> “It was mad towards the end,” Selby said after the match. “I felt like I had played really well to go 4–2 up. Mark did what he does, he dug in, showed his class, came back and the next minute I am 5–4 down and my head is spinning. I am just happy to get over the line. It is always nice to do well in your home city.”<ref name=”” />

==== Group 4 ====

==== Group 4 ====

Snooker tournament

The 2025 Champion of Champions (officially the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions) is a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that is taking place from 10 to 16 November 2025 at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England. It features 16 participants, all of whom have won significant tournaments since the previous year’s event. Part of the 2025–26 snooker season, it is the 15th edition of the Champion of Champions since the tournament was first held in 1978 and the 13th consecutive edition since it was revived in 2013. It is being broadcast domestically by ITV4 and internationally by other broadcasters. The winner will receive £150,000 from a total prize fund of £440,000.

Mark Williams was the defending champion, having defeated Xiao Guodong 10‍–‍6 in the 2024 final, but he lost 5–‍6 to Mark Selby in the quarter-finals.

The Champion of Champions is a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that was first held in 1978, when it was contested by four players at the Wembley Conference Centre in London.[1][2] The inaugural winner was Ray Reardon, who defeated Alex Higgins 11–9 in the final.[2] After its second staging in 1980, the tournament was not held again until 2013, since which time it has been staged annually.[3] The most successful player in its history is Ronnie O’Sullivan, who has won the title four times and been runner-up twice.[4]

The 2025 edition of the tournament—the 15th staging overall and the 13th consecutively since its revival in 2013—is taking place from 10 to 16 November 2025 at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England.[5][6] It features 16 participants, 14 winners of events from the previous 12 months on the World Snooker Tour in addition to the reigning World Women’s Snooker Champion and World Seniors Champion. Organised by Matchroom Sport, the tournament is sponsored by sports betting company Sportsbet.io.[7] Mark Williams was the defending champion, having defeated Xiao Guodong 10‍–‍6 in the 2024 final,[8] but he lost 5‍–‍6 to Mark Selby in the quarter‑finals.

The 16 qualifiers are split into four groups of four players; each group competes on a different day, with the group finals (event quarter-finals) played on the same day as the corresponding first-round matches. Opening round matches are played as the best of 7 frames, while the group finals and semi-finals are the best of 11 frames, and the final is the best of 19 frames, played over two sessions.[4]

Players qualified by winning events throughout the previous year. Controversy arose over the qualification criteria after Matchroom Sport announced a preliminary line-up for the tournament on 20 October that did not include the reigning World Seniors Champion Alfie Burden but did include the highest ranked player in the snooker world rankings who had not otherwise qualified, which would have been the world number five O’Sullivan.[9][10] Noting that the World Seniors Champion had been invited to the tournament every year since the 2019 event, the World Seniors Tour chairman Jason Francis objected to the omission of Burden, claiming that he had a “contractual right” to play.[11] Burden was subsequently included in the confirmed field of participants, released on 30 October.[12][13] O’Sullivan, having last won a title at the 2024 World Masters of Snooker in March 2024, did not feature in the final event lineup.[14][15]

The full list of competitors is below. Events shown below in grey are for players who had already qualified for the event.[12]

Player also qualified by winning another tournament

The tournament is being broadcast domestically in the United Kingdom on ITV4.[17][18] It is being broadcast on DAZN in Germany; on Viaplay in Iceland, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia; on Maincast in Ukraine; on AMC Network in Hungary; on TV Nova in the Czech Republic and Slovakia; on Sportklub in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Slovenia; on TV3 in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; on BG Sports in Thailand; on Rigour Media in China; on StarHub in Singapore; on FanDuel in the United States; on Fox Sports in Australia; and on Sky Network in New Zealand. In territories without a broadcast option, the tournament is being streamed on the Matchroom Pool channel on YouTube.[19][18]

The breakdown of prize money for this event is shown below:[20]

  • Winner: £150,000
  • Runner-up: £60,000
  • Semi-final: £30,000
  • Group runner-up: £17,500
  • Group semi-final: £12,500
Shaun Murphy (pictured in 2015) lost to Lei Peifan and complained of “despicable” treatment over the match schedule.

The tournament began on 10 November with the matches from Group 2, which comprised Shaun Murphy, Lei Peifan, Judd Trump, and Bai Yulu.[19] In the first group semi-final, the 2025 Masters champion Murphy faced the 2024 Scottish Open champion Lei, who won the first frame with a 72 break and also took the second. Murphy won frame three, but Lei moved 3–1 ahead with a 61 break in frame four and completed a 4–1 win in frame five.[21] Following the match, Murphy criticised the tournament organisers, Matchroom Sport, for scheduling his match on the first day of the tournament, since he had just returned from the 2025 International Championship in China. “The way I’ve been treated by Matchroom in this tournament is nothing short of despicable,” Murphy said, claiming he had been informed of the match schedule just 48 hours previously, midway through a 36-hour trip from China. Murphy stated that players who had not travelled to the International Championship should have been scheduled to play first in the event, but the organisers responded that the match schedule had been based on the players’ seedings. “Scheduling is always a challenge every year, but we take on board the points and always strive to improve for next year and the future,” Matchroom Sport said in a statement.[22][23] In the second group semi-final, the 2024 UK Championship winner Trump faced the 2025 World Women’s Championship winner Bai. She took the first frame, but Trump then won four consecutive frames, making breaks including 50, 84, and 71, as he also secured a 4–1 victory.[24][22]

In the Group 2 final, Trump faced Lei. Trump won the first frame with a 60 break, and Lei took the second with a century of 101. Trump then won four consecutive frames, making another 60 break in frame five, as he took a 5–1 lead. Lei won frame seven with a 72 break, but Trump completed a 6–2 victory with a 71 break in frame eight.[25][22][26]

Kyren Wilson (pictured in 2022) lost the Group 3 final to Zhao Xintong on the last black ball of a deciding frame.

Matches in Group 3, which comprised Zhao Xintong, Mark Allen, Jack Lisowski, and Kyren Wilson, took place on 11 November.[19] In the first group semi-final, the 2025 Shanghai Masters champion Wilson faced the 2025 Northern Ireland Open champion Lisowski. Wilson made breaks including 88, 115, and 60 as he moved into a 3–0 lead, but Lisowski responded with breaks including 61 and 115 as he tied the scores at 3–3. Wilson won the deciding frame with a century of 122.[27] In the second group semi-final, the 2025 English Open winner Allen scored only one point in the match as the reigning World Champion Zhao made breaks including 60, 78, and 76 to record a whitewash victory.[28][29] Zhao had returned that morning from China, after reaching the semi-finals of the International Championship. He landed in Manchester at 8 a.m. and then travelled to Leicester for the tournament.[30]

In the Group 3 final, Zhao made breaks of 73, 99, and 78 as he took a 3–1 lead, but Wilson won four frames in a row, making breaks of 104, 62, 120, and 88, as he moved 5–3 ahead. Zhao then won two consecutive frames with breaks of 136 and 64 to tie the scores at 5–5. Zhao went ahead in the decider with a 58 break, but Wilson responded with a 54, and the match was decided on the last black ball. After Wilson missed a pot to the corner pocket, Zhao potted the black to secure victory.[31] “When I was 3–1 up I missed a few shots and he came out to go 5–3 and I was just thinking I don’t [want] him to win so easy,” Zhao said afterwards. “I was a little lucky in the last two frames and got away with a couple of misses.”[29]

The defending champion Mark Williams (pictured in 2014) lost the Group 1 final to Mark Selby in a deciding frame.

Matches in Group 1, which comprised the defending champion Mark Williams, Mark Selby, Stephen Maguire, and Alfie Burden, took place on 12 November.[19] In the first group semi-final, the 2025 Xi’an Grand Prix winner Williams made breaks including 83 and 70 as he whitewashed the 2025 World Seniors Champion Burden.[32] In the second group semi-final, the 2025 Welsh Open champion Selby made a century of 122 as he also whitewashed the 2025 Championship League winner Maguire.[33][34]

In the Group 1 final, Williams won the first two frames, making breaks of 77 and 114, before Selby won four consecutive frames, making breaks including 55, 136, and 52, as he moved into a 4–2 lead. Selby had been 68 points behind in frame six and required a snooker but secured the penalty points he needed. Williams then took three closely contested frames to lead 5–4, but Selby tied the scores with a 95 break in frame 10 and made a 55 break in the decider to secure victory.[35][36] “It was mad towards the end,” Selby said after the match. “I felt like I had played really well to go 4–2 up. Mark did what he does, he dug in, showed his class, came back and the next minute I am 5–4 down and my head is spinning. I am just happy to get over the line. It is always nice to do well in your home city.”[34]

Matches in Group 4, which comprises Neil Robertson, John Higgins, Xiao Guodong, and Tom Ford, are taking place on 13 November.[19]

The draw for the tournament is shown below. Numbers in parentheses after the players’ names denote the top four seeded players, and players in bold will denote match winners.[37]

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee:
Leicester Arena, Leicester, England, 16 November 2025
–
Afternoon:
Evening:
Highest break
Century breaks

A total of 10 century breaks have been made during the tournament.[38]

  1. ^ “Snooker – World champion in semi-final faces Fagan”. The Times. 2 November 1978. p. 13.
  2. ^ a b “Daily Mirror Champion of Champions (1978)”. snooker.org. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  3. ^ “History”. Champion of Champions Snooker. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  4. ^ a b Day, Michael (12 April 2024). “Champion of Champions Snooker: Information and a Potted History”. Totally Snookered. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  5. ^ “Tournaments 2025–26”. World Snooker Tour. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  6. ^ “Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions 2025”. snooker.org. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  7. ^ “Sportsbet.io becomes new title partner of snooker’s Players Championship, Tour Championship and Champion of Champions”. World Snooker Tour. 14 January 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  8. ^ “Mark Williams wins first Champion of Champions title by beating Xiao Guodong”. BBC Sport. 17 November 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  9. ^ “Stellar line-up take shape for the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions, 10–16 November”. Champion of Champions Snooker. 20 October 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  10. ^ Kane, Desmond (22 October 2025). “Ronnie O’Sullivan set to be offered Champion of Champions invite with Northern Ireland Open winner in line to secure final spot at elite snooker event”. TNT Sports. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  11. ^ Day, Michael (23 October 2025). “O’Sullivan set for controversial Champion of Champions invite after criteria shake-up”. Totally Snookered. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  12. ^ a b “Field confirmed for Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions”. World Snooker Tour. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  13. ^ Watterson, Ryan (5 November 2025). “Alfie Burden Confirmed for Champion of Champions”. WSS | World Seniors Snooker. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  14. ^ Livie, Alex (30 October 2025). “Alfie Burden in Champion of Champions field with Ronnie O’Sullivan not included in star-studded 16-player line-up”. TNT Sports. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  15. ^ Day, Michael (30 October 2025). “Full Champion of Champions line-up confirmed as qualification picture cleared up”. Totally Snookered. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  16. ^ “Snooker world’s best confirmed as final field set for 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions, 10–16 November”. championofchampionssnooker.co.uk. 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  17. ^ “ITV and Matchroom extend partnership for Champion of Champions snooker”. World Snooker Tour. 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  18. ^ a b “How to watch the Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions”. World Snooker Tour. 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  19. ^ a b c d e “Schedule confirmed for Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions”. World Snooker Tour. 8 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  20. ^ “Tournament”. Champion of Champions Snooker. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  21. ^ “2025 Champion of Champions: Shaun Murphy v Lei Peifan”. World Snooker Tour. 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  22. ^ a b c “Murphy accuses Matchroom of ‘despicable treatment’“. BBC Sport. 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  23. ^ Livie, Alex (10 November 2025). “‘Made an embarrassment of me’ – Shaun Murphy hits out at ‘despicable’ treatment by Champion of Champions organisers after early exit to Lei Peifan”. TNT Sports. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  24. ^ “2025 Champion of Champions: Judd Trump v Bai Yulu”. World Snooker Tour. 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  25. ^ “2025 Champion of Champions: Judd Trump v Lei Peifan”. World Snooker Tour. 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  26. ^ “Judd Trump storms into semi-final after day one dominance”. Champion of Champions Snooker. 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  27. ^ “2025 Champion of Champions: Kyren Wilson v Jack Lisowski”. World Snooker Tour. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  28. ^ “2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Allen v Zhao Xintong”. World Snooker Tour. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  29. ^ a b Abraham, Timothy (11 November 2025). “Zhao wins black-ball decider to reach Champions semis”. BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  30. ^ Day, Michael (11 November 2025). “Zhao Xintong overcomes fatigue to win epic Champion of Champions group on final ball”. Totally Snookered. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  31. ^ “2025 Champion of Champions: Kyren Wilson v Zhao Xintong”. World Snooker Tour. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  32. ^ “2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Williams v Alfie Burden”. World Snooker Tour. 12 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  33. ^ “2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Selby v Stephen Maguire”. World Snooker Tour. 12 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  34. ^ a b Sutcliffe, Steve (12 November 2025). “Selby overcomes Williams in decider to reach semi-finals semis”. BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  35. ^ “2025 Champion of Champions: Mark Williams v Mark Selby”. World Snooker Tour. 12 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  36. ^ “Mark Selby ends Williams reign at Champion of Champions”. RTÉ Sport. 13 November 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  37. ^ “Groups confirmed for thrilling 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions, 10–16 November”. championofchampionssnooker.co.uk. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  38. ^ “Centuries: Champion of Champions – 10”. snookerinfo.co.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2025.

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